Making of "Printing Types"
4 days ago
- #typography
- #historical-research
- #digital-preservation
- Nicholas Rougeux embarked on a digital edition project of Daniel Updike’s 'Printing Types,' involving extensive research on over 1,200 books spanning 450 years.
- Updike’s 'Printing Types' (1922) is a seminal work on typography, tracing the evolution of type design from the 15th to the early 20th century, with over 360 facsimiles of historical typography.
- Rougeux manually retyped all 550+ pages of 'Printing Types' to connect deeply with the material, avoiding OCR due to its imperfections with italics and accented characters.
- The project included a treasure hunt for original scans of Updike’s facsimiles, with Rougeux finding 84% of the 1,229 sources mentioned, including rare specimens and broadsides.
- Libraries like the Newberry Library, Providence Public Library, and Boston Public Library were instrumental in providing access to rare books and scans.
- Rougeux used AI tools like Google’s Gemini for research and summarization, though with mixed results, and Photoshop’s generative fill for image cleanup.
- A sentiment analysis of Updike’s critiques revealed a generally positive tone, which inspired a poster showcasing the top 100 favorably described facsimiles.
- The digital edition features interactive footnotes, high-resolution images, and a timeline of typography’s evolution, with design updates to enhance readability and visual appeal.
- Rougeux’s project highlights the intersection of historical research, typography, and digital preservation, emphasizing the value of libraries and modern technology in accessing rare materials.